ELSA Company Timeline
ELSA 35th Anniversary
One of the very first Japanese companies to arrive in Indiana, ELSA will celebrate its 35th Anniversary in September 2022. With an expanding product and customer base, and with a renewed commitment to building our future together as a team, ELSA is well-situated as it turns the page and starts its next 25 years as a mainstay in the central Indiana business community and a supplier to top customers around the world
New President of ELSA
Michael Evans was promoted to President of ELSA
Start Building Fuel Tanks for Honda
ELSA began making blow molded fuel tanks for Honda
New Press Building
ELSA broke ground on an expansion of its Press Operations. The expansion will be about 61,000 square feet
New Plastics Plant Building
ELSA broke ground on its new plastics plant. This 131,000 square foot building houses our injection molding and blow molding operations
New ELSA President
Yasuhiko Matsuoka became President of ELSA
Toyota 052A Camry
Start production of Toyota 052A Camry components
TS16949
TS16949 certification obtained
Start production of Toyota Camry components
ELSA was awarded fuel tank business with Toyota to support the production of the Camry in Lafayette, IN
Subaru B9 Tribeca
Start production of Subaru B9 Tribeca components
TPM Award
Awarded TPM excellence second category
Expansion
Building expansion
Mitsubishi Endeavor
Start production of Mitsubishi Endeavor components
ISO14001
ISO14001 certification obtained
Unipress
Start production of Unipress stamped parts
ELSA purchased E-Building
ELSA purchased E-Building a block behind our main facility which is where we now manufacture air cleaners with our own injection molding operation
Mazda 626
Start production of Mazda 626 components
Certification
Receive QS9000
Kiyokazu Sakamoto
Kiyokazu Sakamoto becomes ELSA’s second president
Masataka Sakamoto
Masataka Sakamoto, ELSA’s first President, returned to work at Sakamoto, in Japan, and his brother, Kiyokazu Sakamoto, came to Elwood and assumed the reins of the Presidency of ELSA
Building Expansion
Ground was broken in June for another 49,600 square foot addition to house our shipping department and finished goods storage. This addition was completed in October of 1994
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Start production of Mitsubishi Eclipse components
Chrysler Sebring
Start production of Chrysler Sebring components
Mitsubishi Galant
Start production of Mitsubishi Galant components
Ford Villager
Start production of Ford Villager components
Expansion Completed
Building expansion completed
Isuzu Rodeo
Start production of Isuzu Rodeo components
Subaru Legacy
Start production of Subaru Legacy components
Plans To Construct a 160,000 sq. ft. addition
ELSA announced plans to construct a 160,000 sq. ft. addition nearly tripling the size of the plant. 34 acres were purchased for the expansion to be completed in 1990. The addition would allow ELSA to operate its own stamping equipment and produce air cleaners, suspension parts, and aftermarket exhaust systems
Masataka Sakamoto
ELSA’s first president Masataka Sakamoto
ELSA Company Formed
Hisazi Sakamoto, president of Sakamoto Industry, along with other members of the Company selected Elwood, Indiana as the location of this new manufacturing plant. To reflect the partnership between the Indiana city and the Japanese company, the first two letters from each were used to create the name “ELSA”